Ailing Nadal falls early at Italian Open
ROME: Defending champion Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Italian Open in the third round on Thursday with the record 10-time Rome winner complaining of a recurring foot problem after a shock 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 defeat by Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
Defeat in Rome for the Spaniard casts doubt over his prospects at the upcoming French Open, where he has been crowned champion 13 times.
The 35-year-old, who had reached at least the quarter-finals every year in Rome since 2008, had been out for six weeks with a rib injury before returning for last week’s tournament in Madrid.
Nadal began limping in the third set, later telling reporters that a foot problem had flared up during the second set but couldn’t say whether he would be able to take part at Roland Garros.
“I’m not injured, I am a player living with an injury. That’s it,” Nadal told reporters.
“It’s something that is there unfortunately and my day by day is difficult. I am trying hard but of course it is difficult for me. A lot of days I can’t practise.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Denis... today is for him so well done to him.”
Last year’s Rome runner-up Novak Djokovic swept past Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-2 in one hour, 16 minutes to reach the quarter-finals as he bids for a sixth Italian Open title.
Djokovic is in his record-extending 369th week as the world No.1 and must reach at least the semis to avoid losing his top ranking spot to Daniil Medvedev.
In the women’s event, world No.1 Iga Swiatek claimed her 25th straight victory, defeating Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-1 despite a rocky start.